16 October 2011

Manu not giving up on DPMM FC deal

Dennis LimBANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, October 16, 2011

IS Stephen Manu the hitman DPMM FC are looking for?

Having unveiled three imports defender Tales Ricarte dos Santos and midfielder George O'Callaghan and striker Osman Basiru on Thursday, DPMM FC made it known that they were looking for another foreign striker.

Stepped forward Manu, a Ghanaian striker who was on trial with the club in the Sultanate last week.

The lanky striker is back in Ghana after Brunei's only professional football club failed to agree a transfer fee with his current club New Edubiase United FC, according to a report on Ghana's Peace FM Online yesterday.

Despite this Manu is not overruling a move to Brunei, saying that the transfer could still materialise.

"They (DPMM FC) were so impressed with my performance while on trial with them ... they didn't even want me to come back to Ghana," he was quoted as saying on Melody FM yesterday.

"They wanted to finish a deal but unfortunately couldn't agree a fee with my club Edubiase.

"Their league starts in February-March so there is still a chance for me to move but it depends on whether they can agree a deal with Edubiase," added the 25-year-old hitman.

DPMM FC could have used Manu's services in a friendly match against the national Under-23 team at the Jerudong Mini Stadium yesterday. Head coach Vjeran Simunic saw his team draw 2-2 with the youth side after a rusty performance from his forwards who wasted numerous chances during the game and immediately told The Brunei Times that they are still looking for players as they prepare to 'rejoin' the Singapore League.

Their three imports played well though with Basiru helping set up DPMM FC's opener.

Supplying a good cross from the right, the speedy Ghanaian striker fed another player on trial with the club to make it 1-0. Prolific striker Shahrazen Hj Md Said's volley made it 2-0 for DPMM FC.

Tales, the Samba left-back, worked hard and effectively on both ends tirelessly helping out in defence and joining in attack.

Callaghan, meanwhile, did well to boss the midfield.

Despite controlling the game DPMM FC's forwards wasted too many chances in the match and were later made to pay for it when the U-23 team came back with a penalty and headed goal late in the match to make it 2-2.

Simunic told The Brunei Times: "We did what we could today (Saturday). We are still looking to complete the team and have various players on trial with the club. "We are still not compact enough. We need to properly train full time as players still miss the training sessions because of work. We need a complete team soon," added Simunic, who led DPMM FC to the Singapore League Cup crown in 2009.

About a month ago, Singapore's online news portal Today quoted an anonymous source saying that DPMM FC had submitted their application to rejoin the S-League to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).

Club manager Pg Waslimin PSJ Pg Hj Abd Momin then confirmed the news with The Brunei Times on Sept 15.

The club on Thursday also revealed that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had given them the green light to play in the S-League next season.

Currently in its 16th season, the Singapore's top-flight is scheduled to end on Nov 28 with the new season starting on Feb 12 with a dozen teams playing in three rounds.